Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jul 2008
Source: Awoko (Sierra Leone)
Copyright: 2008 Awoko Newspaper
Contact: http://awoko.org/index.php?page=contact-us
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4834
Website: http://www.awoko.org/
Author: John Baimba Sesay

'NO EVIDENCE TO ARREST KEMOH SESAY'- AIG MUNU

As the Sierra Leone Police continues to investigate the alleged cocaine 
scam at the Freetown International Airport in Lungi, the Assistant 
Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of crime, Francis Munu revealed 
that, there was no evidence to arrest Kemoh Sesay, Minister of Transport 
and Aviation.

There have been calls from the public and certain sections of the Media 
that, the Minister of Transport and Aviation be suspended by the president 
from his duty and that police investigate him as the political head of the 
ministry.

Recently, the Minister told newsmen that, he was informed about the arrival 
and forceful landing of the plane at the Airport by the General Manager of 
the airport, John Brima and that, based on that, he called and updated the 
President, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma on the said incident as the president was 
on his way from the Gambia. And further that, he instructed the Manager to 
alert security men as the plane was almost landing.

Also the Minister's two brothers, one of them, being the Team Manager for 
the national Team Leone Stars, were arrested following suspicion that they 
had links to the alleged cocaine aircraft. The Minister of Transport and 
Aviation recently admitted that Ahmed Sesay, the Team Manager for Leone 
Star was his brother stating that he was a responsible man, and an adult 
that was responsible for his own action.

However, Francis Munu speaking yesterday to Awoko over the phone stated 
that, they had not arrested the Transport and Aviation Minister, because 
they had no evidence against him and that, as a force they "don't arrest 
people because they [police] want to persecute but rather, to prosecute".

The Police Boss in charge of crime services said, they were still 
collecting forensic evidence from the various scenes related to the alleged 
cocaine scam and that, they [police] have also got a team of detectives 
from the United Kingdom to help in analyzing  the forensic evidence. "It is 
true that we have received a team from the UK and they are helping us to 
analyse the forensic evidence", Munu said. Asked on the number of arrests 
that were made, Munu said, 58 were arrested but that they[Police] had 
released some of those that were recently arrested "because we [police] do 
not have evidence - sufficient evidence to have them in detention", Munu 
stated.

Meanwhile, the alleged cocaine since discovered on board the aircraft had 
been in the hands of the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone. The number 
of people arrested included South Americans, Venezuelans, and a number of 
Sierra Leoneans. Gabriel Kamara, aka GK, believed to be a prime suspect 
reportedly went missing since police investigations commenced over a week 
ago. Meanwhile the Airport Acting Manager John Brima has been released by 
the police.
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